Winch assembly for water sking tow ropes



March 19, 1963 1 BRELAND WINCH ASSEMBLY FCR WATER SKIING Tow RoPEs Filed Dec. 1e, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l Lew/'s L. Bre/and lNr/ENTOR.

BY aaa/Wawy me),

March 19 1963 L. 1 BRELAND WINCH ASSEMBLY FOR WATER SKIING TOW ROPES Filed Deo. 16. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Lewis L. Bre/and INVENTOK United States Patent O 3,031,732 WINCH ASSEMBLY EUR WATER SKIING TOW RGPES Lewis L Breland, Rte. 1, Box 263, Drew, Miss. Filed Dec. 16, 1960, Ser. No. '76,274 Claims. (Cl. 114-235) This invention relates to a novel and useful winch assembly for water skiing tow ropes, and more particularly to a winch assembly adapted to be mounted on the transom of a boat.

The winch assembly of the instant invention includes a separate guide means in the form of an eye member provided with a mounting plate for securement to the rear surface of a transom of a boat. The eye slidably receives the tow rope wound about a drum of the winch assembly and the rope, adjacent the end secured to the drum of the winch assembly, is provided with a stop member engageable with the eye for preventing complete unwinding o-f the rope from the drum and also Afor transferring the rearward pull on a ski tow rope being used to tow a skier from the drum of the winch assembly to the transom of the boat.

While the winch assembly of the instant invention is illustrated in the drawings and described hereinafter as being provided for a single tow rope, it is to be appreciated that the drum of the winch could have a plurality of winding sections thereon and that the guide means could be provided with a plurality 0f separate guide elements whereby a number of tow ropes could be handled by the same winch assembly.

The rearward pull on a ski tow rope is not always very great when the boat towing the skier is travelling at high speeds. However, when the boat is just getting underway and is being utilized to lift perhaps three or four water skiers out of the water, the combined rearward pull of a plurality of ski ropes is very great and if this rearward pull were permitted to be transmitted to the winch assembly about which portions of the ski ropes were wound, the winch assembly would have to be of extremely rugged construction and therefore it may be appreciated that to provide a separate guide means for each tow rope and a stop member on each tow rope engageable with the guide means whereby the rearward pull of the tow rope may be transferred from the winch assembly to the guide means carried by the transom of the boat is very important.

The winch assembly of the instant invention includes an electric motor mounted on the inner surfaces of the transom of a boat and provided with an elongated output shaft whose free end projects through an aperture formed in the transom of the boat. The winding of the drum of the winch assembly is mounted on the free end portion of the output shaft which projects rearwardly of the transom so as to position all of the tow rope exteriorly of the boat at all times. By placing the winding drum of the winch assembly rearwardly of the boat transom, there is little possibility that the inside of the boat will become cluttered with ski ropes, handles and floats. If it is desired, an attractive housing may be provided for the winding drum of the winch assembly.

The electric motor of the winch assembly may be a l2-volt motor and thus conveniently connected to the l2- volt battery which is required for starting a large number of the outboard motors marketed today. The electrical circuit connecting the motor and the battery may have a rst switch disposed therein and adapted for securement in the rear portion of the boat for operation by an observer in the event a water skier falls and it is desired to wind the ski rope on the winding drum of the winch assembly. Additionally, the electrical circuit may 4also extend to the forward or drivers portion of the boat and 3,981,732 Patented Mar. 19, i963 ice have a second switch disposed therein operable by the driver of the boat in the event the driver is the only person in the boat. In this instance, the driver may, at his will, wind the ski rope about the winding drum of the winch assembly.

The main object of this invention is to provide a winch assembly for water skiing tow ropes which will be provided with a means for transferring the rearward pull of the ski ropes from the winch assembly to a guide means carried by the transom of the boat.

A further object of this invention in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide a winch assembly which may be conveniently actuated by either an observer in the aft portion of the boat or by the driver of the `boat in the forward portion thereof.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a winch assembly having a winding drum which is disposed exteriorly of the boat.

A still further object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide an electric motor for the winding drum of 4the winch assembly, the electric motor being provided with an elongated output shaft whereby the electric motor may be mounted interiorly of the boat and project through an aperture formed in the transom of the boat in order that the winding drum of the winch assembly may be mounted on the free end of the output shaft of the electric motor projecting rearwardly of the transom of the boat.

A final object to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a device which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to operate so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble-free in operation.

These together with other objects and `advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had lto the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the boat in which the winch assembly of the instant invention is mounted;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the boat and winch assembly illustrated in FIGURE l;

FGURE 3 is a rear end elevational view of the boat;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal Vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane indicated by section line 4 4 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic View of the electrical circuit of the winch assembly.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 1d generally designates a boat including opposite sides 12 and 14, a bottom lo and a transom i8 in which the winch assembly of the instant invention is mounted. The winch assembly is generally referred to by the reference numeral 26` and includes lan electric motor generally referred to by the reference numeral 22. The electric motor 212 is provided with an apertured radially extending and mounting frange 2d by which the motor 22 is mounted to the transom 18 by means of suitable fasteners 26. The motor 22 includes an elongated output `shaft 2S which projects through an aperture 3G formed in the transom 1S and rearwardly of the latter. The winding drum 32 of the winch assembly 2d` has a mounting collar 34 secured thereto provided with a setscrew 36. The winding drum 32 is mounted on the free end portion of the output shaft 2S of the motor 22 projecting rearwardly of the transom i8 and for rotation with the output shaft 2S by means of the collar 34 and its setscrew 36. Therefore, Vthe motor 22 journals the shaft 23 on which the drum 32 is mounted.

The winch assembly 2@ also includes guide means generally referred Ito by the reference numeral 38 which incliudes an eye member 40 provided with an apertured mounted base 42 by which the eye 4t) may be secured to the outer surfaces of the transom 1.8 by means of suitable fasteners 44.

One end of a tow rope 46 is secured to the winding drum @32 in any convenient manner and is wound thereabout. The tow rope 46 includes a stop member 4S which is diametrically enlarged and of a size to prevent its passage through the eye 401. The stop member 48 may be secured to the tow rope 46 in any convenient manner against longitudinal movement relative to the rope 46.

The end of the tow rope 46 remote from the stop member 48 is provided with a float 50 and a handle (not shown).

With attention now directed to FIGURE of the drawings there will be seen a rst circuit generally referred to by the reference numeral 52 including a wire 54 leading from the motor 22 to the switch 56, wire 58 leading from the motor to one terminal of the battery 6i? and wire 62 leading from the other terminal of the battery 6() to the switch 56.

The switch 56 may be mounted in the aft portion of the boat as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings in a position readily accessible by an observer in the aft portion of the boat 10. A second circuit generally referred to by the reference numeral 64 is connected in parallel with the circuit 512 and includes wires 66 leading from wire S4 to switch 68 and wire 70 leading from switch 68 to wire 62.

The switch 76 may be a toggle switch if desired and the switch l68 may be a push button switch. Thus, both an observer in the aft portion of the boat it) and a driver adjacent the switch 68 may at their will operate the motor 22 to wind the tow rope 46 on the drum 32.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, `and accordingly `all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with a boat hull including a transom having an aperture formed therethrough, shaft means journaled from said transom for rotation about an axis extending generally longitudinally of said hull and projecting through said aperture, a winding member on the portion of said shaft means disposed rearwardly of said transom and disposed adjacent the latter, a ski tow rope having one end secured to said winding member' for winding thereon, guide means spaced radially outwardly from said winding member and supported from and disposed rearwardly of said transom siidabiy receiving the free end portion of said rope, stop means secured to said 4one end of said rope between said winding member and said guide means engageable with said guide means to prevent all of said rope from being unwound from said winding member and to transfer the rearward pull on said ski rope from the winding member to said guide means -on said transom thereby preventing undue stress and strain on said winding member when a skier is being pulled by said tow rope.

2. The combination of claim 1 including means for effecting rotation of said shaft means comprising `an electric motor mounted on said transom inwardly of said hull and having an output shaft comprising said shaft means.

3. The combination of claim` 2 wherein said guide means comprises an arm member through which said rope is slidably received having a mounting base secured to the outer surface of said transom.

4. The combination of claim 1 including means for eifectin-g rotation of said shaft means comprising an electric motor mounted on said transom inwardly of said hull and having an output shaft comprising said shaft means, an electrical circuit connected to said motor and adapted for connection to a storage battery, a first switch disposed in series in said circuit and adapted for securement to an aft portion of said boat in a position readily accessible by an observer in the rear of said boat.

5. The combination of claim 4 including a second circuit connected in parallel in said first-mentioned circuit, a second switch disposed in series in said second circuit and adapted to be secured to aforward portion of the boat in a position readily accessible by an observer in the forward portion of said boat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,023,816 Coggeshall Apr. 23, 1912 2,222,409 Gottlieb Nov. 19, 1940 2,498,223 Rommel Feb. 21, 1950 2,669,427 Dowrelio Feb. 16, 1954 2,883,684 Correll Apr. 28, 1959 2,915,259 Force Dec. l, 1959 2,944,507 Beal uly 12, 1960 2,956,532 James et al. Oct. 18, 1960 3,034,742 Reynolds May 15, 1962 3,041,996 Roberts luly 3, 1962 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A BOAT HULL INCLUDING A TRANSOM HAVING AN APERTURE FORMED THERETHROUGH, SHAFT MEANS JOURNALED FROM SAID TRANSOM FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS EXTENDING GENERALLY LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID HULL AND PROJECTING THROUGH SAID APERTURE, A WINDING MEMBER ON THE PORTION OF SAID SHAFT MEANS DISPOSED REARWARDLY OF SAID TRANSOM AND DISPOSED ADJACENT THE LATTER, A SKI TOW ROPE HAVING ONE END SECURED TO SAID WINDING MEMBER FOR WINDING THEREON, GUIDE MEANS SPACED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID WINDING MEMBER AND SUPPORTED FROM AND DISPOSED REARWARDLY OF SAID TRANSOM SLIDABLY RECEIVING THE FREE END PORTION OF SAID ROPE, STOP MEANS SECURED TO SAID ONE END OF SAID ROPE BETWEEN SAID WINDING MEMBER AND SAID GUIDE MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID GUIDE MEANS TO PREVENT ALL OF SAID ROPE FROM BEING UNWOUND FROM SAID WINDING MEMBER AND TO TRANSFER THE REARWARD PULL ON SAID SKI ROPE FROM THE WINDING MEMBER TO SAID GUIDE MEANS ON SAID TRANSOM THEREBY PREVENTING UNDUE STRESS AND STRAIN ON SAID WINDING MEMBER WHEN A SKIER IS BEING PULLED BY SAID TOW ROPE. 